Wow, its been a while since I've posted anything at all here but judging on the amount of complaints I got I assume that it hasn't really affected anyone's lives to NOT know what I've been up to this past year!
Well, regardless of if you really wanted to know, I'm gonna fill you in anyway.
In October '08 I started working for a small office of State Farm Insurance just a few blocks from my house. Its different work than I've ever done before but I like it. It pays the bills and the people I work with are really great so that helps too. Anyway, about 2 weeks after I started back to work, Halloween night to be exact, I found out that we were going to be growing our little family of 3 into a nicely rounded family of 4! It was definitely a shocker. Jeff and I had sorta "tried" for a 2nd child about 3-4 years ago with no luck and went back to thinking that we were just very lucky to even have Annabel since he was always told he couldn't biologically father children at all. So somewhere along the way, whether it was moving to Alberta or just finally being content in my place in this world, something shook loose and BAM! Another life was created!
(I would insert pregnant pictures here but there are conveniently none to post! Sorry--kinda wish I had some now-I know, many of you warned me I'd feel that way!)
It was a good start to the pregnancy although different than with Annabel. I had more nausea but not alot of vomiting, I was definitely more tired, and obviously not in as good a shape as with Annabel so that took its toll as well. I ended up having such excruciating back, hip, and pelvic pain that I could hardly walk some days. I developed gestational diabetes in week 30 which put me on insulin but was still very difficult to control. As a result of the GB I had a LOT of excess fluid in my uterus which, by week 32, had me measuring about 43 weeks pregnant...not something ANY one wants to hear! Through it all I managed to keep my weight gaining down to roughly 23 lbs with much of that being fluid. I had a high risk of early labour and because of the complications I had with delivering Annabel we really wanted the birth to be as scheduled as possible to avoid any problems. My doctor tried to get me in a soon as was healthy for the baby and we decided on June 8th as the earliest (both because of OR time and lung development). Not as early as I had hoped for but I definitely wanted the best for the baby. (Actual due date was June 13)
SO because of all the issues affecting this pregnancy, I was scheduled for about 100 ultrasouds per week plus 2 non-stress tests per week and my regular weekly dr's appts. My last day of work was set for May 15. I had scheduled a day off for May 14 so I could manage to get to 3 separate appointments but ended up getting really sick that day and spent the entire day in bed after vomiting all night. Later that night I was feeling pretty good so I came downstairs for a couple of hours to watch Survivor (I have my priorities in order!) and went up to bed around 10pm wishing I didn't have to go to work the next day. Well, be careful what you wish for.....15 minutes later my water broke and by 11:30pm we are packing up Annabel and heading to the hospital.
Mason Angus Thomson (I always want to put "Young" in there somewhere!!) was born at 0215 hrs on May 15, 2009 weighing 8 lbs 1 oz (keep in mind he was 4 weeks premature!). There was so much excess fluid in my uterus that I ruined the surgeon's shoes by soaking them when he was brought out! The delivery went better than I could have hoped for besides the flood! The epidural was wonderful, the catheter was simple and painless (not like when Laurel and Hardy did it for me when I had Annabel!!), there were no placental issues and I remained awake for the entire procedure. It was beautiful!
Mason was taken right away to the ICN where he was given oxygen and then placed on a CPAP machine overnight. By the time I got to see him the next morning he was off the machine but had an IV for feedings and was getting heel pokes round the clock to keep track of his blood-glucose (which was always good readings). The IV came out 1-1/2 days later but an NG tube was inserted to help with feedings since he was just too tired to stay awake long enough to eat enough. Day 5 he had his billirubin levels tested and had to go under photo-therapy for jaundice which lasted about 24 hours. Day 6 he had his NG tube taken out and was feeding (by bottle) on his own. He then passed his car seat test (something they make all preemies do) and if he eats well all the way through till 2am May 22, he can come home with me later that morning!!!
Its been a long week and my emotions have been all over the place but its nearly done and we can adjust to our new little family! Annabel is so excited to be a big sister! She's held him a few times but is really looking forward to being able to feed him when he's home and help with play time--we're still in negotiations over diaper changes.
Jeff is a very happy, proud papa! We've already had discussions of the two of them working out together and playing with RC cars...fortunately Annabel is into those things too so I may end up with a few quiet days to myself!
We will be traveling back to BC through Kelowna in late July/early August to see as many friends and relatives as possible so let me know if you will be around Abbotsford then and we can try to get together.
So, that's what I've been doing.....there is more to tell but this is all I have time for tonight. Annabel and Jeff both need updating which I will try to get to in the next several days or weeks.
Hope to see many of you in July/August!!!
Love and Hugs to all!
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